Answers of The Story of Silk Reading Passage with Explanation
Below are the answers of above passage with detailed explanation and location:
Question 1
ANSWER :Tea
Explanation :The first paragraph states that when the emperor’s wife was having tea, she discovered the cocoon making a fine thread- “One of the cocoons that she had collected landed in the hot tea and started to unravel into a fine thread.” Hence, from the explanation it can concluded that the answer is tea.
Question 2
ANSWER :Reel
Explanation :The first paragraph depicts Lei Tzu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, who discovered how to rear silkworms. Moreover, she also uncovered a way to turn it into a single thread- “She also devised a special reel to draw the fibres from the cocoon into a single thread.” Hence, it can inferred from the mentioned lines that the answer is reel.
Question 3
ANSWER :Women
Explanation :In the second paragraph, it is mentioned that it was the women who harvested and grew silk. It is stated in the following line, “Originally, silkworm farming was solely restricted to women”. Hence, it can concluded that only women were allowed to produce silk.
Question 4
ANSWER :Royalty
Explanation :Paragraph B states that the demand for silk grew rapidly. It then grew into a symbol of royalty, and entitled people started wearing silk. As mentioned in the passage, “Silk quickly grew into a symbol of status, and originally, only royalty was entitled to have clothes made of silk.” Hence, as per these lines, there was a point where only royals were allowed to wear silk. So, here, the answer is royalty.
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Question 5
ANSWER :Currency
Explanation :It is mentioned in the second paragraph that silk had become a currency. The government officials were getting payments in silk. Moreover, farmers started paying taxes using silk as a medium. It is mentioned, “Government officials were paid their salary in silk, and farmers paid their taxes in grain and silk”. Thus, from this, it can be concluded that silk was used as a currency.
Question 6
ANSWER :Paper
Explanation :In paragraph B, it is mentioned that silk was not just used by farmers to pay government officials, but there were other uses of it, such as emperors using it as a diplomatic gift. As stated in the passage, “Fishing lines, bowstrings, musical instruments and paper were all made using silk. The earliest indication of silk paper being used was discovered in the tomb of a noble who is estimated to have died around 168 AD.” Hence, silk is used for many purposes. It was evident that paper was also made from it. So, here the answer is paper.
Question 7
ANSWER :Wool
Explanation :In paragraph C, it is mentioned that along with precious metals like gold and silver, wool was also traded through the silk route. it is stated that, “Demand for this exotic fabric eventually created the lucrative trade route now known as the Silk Road, taking silk westward and bringing gold, silver and wool to the East.” Hence, it can be concluded that merchants used the Silk Road to take it westward and bring back wool and precious metals. Therefore, here, the answer is wool.
Question 8
ANSWER :Monks
Explanation :As mentioned in paragraph D, “Monks working for the Byzantine emperor Justinian smuggled silkworm eggs to Constantinople (Istanbul in modern-day Turkey) in 550 AD, concealed inside hollow bamboo walking canes.” Hence, it can concluded that monks hide silkworm eggs in canes and take them to Constantinople.
Question 9
ANSWER :Nylon
Explanation :The last paragraph of the passage states, “In the twentieth century, new manmade fibres, such as nylon, started to be used in what had traditionally been silk products, such as stockings and parachutes.” Thus, it can be inferred that the production of other fibres, like Nylon, caused a decline in silk. So, here, the answer is Nylon.
Question 10
ANSWER :False
Explanation :In the third paragraph, it is mentioned that silk was the most valuable material transported along the Silk Road. Hence, it can concluded that the statement is incorrect. So, here, the answer is false.
Question 11
ANSWER :True
Explanation :The third paragraph states that there were plenty of middlemen- “Few merchants travelled the entire route; goods were handled mostly by a series of middlemen.” Thus, the statement stands correct. So, here, the answer is true.
Question 12
ANSWER :False
Explanation :In paragraph C, it is stated that the Byzantines spread the practice of silk production across the West. It is mentioned that, “The secret of silk-making eventually reached the rest of the world via the Byzantine Empire, which ruled over the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East”. Hence, the statement is incorrect as it does not match with the information. So, here the answer is false.
Question 13
ANSWER :Not Given
Explanation :In paragraph E, it is mentioned that in recent years, China has become the largest exporter and producer of silk yarn. At present, around 125000 m tons of it are produced. In this, two-thirds of it comes from China. However, there are no further details of the silk product that is exported from China. So, here, the answer is not given.
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